


I Look to the Time With You

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: California Dreaming [12]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-08
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-25 23:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/958752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Napping was one of Jason’s favorite activities now.  For a man who’d had trouble sleeping for the past almost 30 years that was a big deal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Look to the Time With You

**Author's Note:**

> This series is about Gideon's life after the BAU. The title comes from the Peter Gabriel song, In Your Eyes because it’s epic.

“You're not relaxing.”

“I know.”

“Are you trying to relax?” she asked.

“I want to so badly that I'm close to tears.”

“Turn over on your back. I have another idea.”

Jason sighed and did what he was told. He was lying on Paloma’s couch on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon. He just wanted to be close to her; he needed it. So much was happening, and typical of life it was happening faster than Gideon could keep up. 

In eight days school began. That meant supplies, clothes, lunch money, and getting the kids back on a schedule of homework and studying. The week after school started for them Jason would be back at Sonoma State. He was scheduled to teach four classes and a senior seminar in the Philosophy of Religion. 

Late Monday morning he got a call from Kim Sanchez telling him that Maddie was going to be placed with another family. The DSS hoped that this situation would be permanent. They planned to pick her up on Wednesday, which didn’t give Jason much time to let his family know what was happening. Before he had a chance to think the phone rang again. This time it was Sandra Campbell from DSS. 

She had a ten year old boy in need of emergency placement. He was with an aunt right now but hoped Jason could help. Dylan Kazak’s parents were in the middle of a messy, bitter, potentially violent divorce and custody battle. Though the couple had been married for thirteen years, Mr. Kazak had strong family ties in Turkey. Mrs. Kazak was born and raised in Senegal. She’d taken her son there three times in the past decade to visit. 

The family court judge worried that one of the parents would attempt to abscond with the child. He didn’t think holding their passports was enough of a deterrent. Dylan was placed in foster care for a 90 day assessment. That meant therapy, supervised parental visitation, and different school placement. 

It was going to be a lot for a kid his age to take in. Jason told Sandra that as long as they could wait until Wednesday than he would do it. She agreed. There was only one place she wanted Dylan to go…he needed to safe and secure.

The average foster child could stay in his care anywhere for six to eighteen months. A lot of them returned to their parents or family members and Gideon was pleased when families were reunited. It was rare that he got a child as young as Maddie. She was just seven and even though he tried, Jason formed a paternal attachment in just a few months. The other kids looked to her as their youngest sibling, even when she was a pain in their butts. 

Having to let her go was hard for everyone. Jason took them to dinner on Tuesday evening for a proper goodbye. The twins cried the next morning when she left. He made sure he let all the kids know that he was there if they wanted to talk. So far no one, not even Tameka who always had something to say, had taken him up on his offer. 

Dylan was still settling in to Maddie’s old room. He didn’t talk a lot, eat a lot, and preferred to be by himself. The kids gave him space. They all knew what the first foster home experience was like. He would need time to adjust while praying every night to never adjust to foster care.

“Shirt out of your pants.” Paloma said in her soothing but firm voice.

Jason again obeyed without question. He had no idea what she planned to do but he needed this time away with her. Even if away was just in her living room with a thunderstorm CD playing and aromatherapy candles lit all over the room. He lifted his gray buttoned shirt out of his jeans; Paloma slipped her hand underneath and rubbed his stomach. Unable to help himself, Gideon practically purred. It was the same sound as when he rubbed one of the cat’s bellies.

“There you go, that’s a really good sound.” She smiled. “Touch is relaxing. So I'm just going to rub your belly and run my fingers through your hair. Close your eyes and think of your favorite place.”

“I don’t have much hair left up there to run your fingers through.” Jason said as he loosely crossed his arms over his chest.

“I happen to like it just fine. Why don’t you tell me about your favorite place?”

“My favorite place?”

“Yes, anywhere in the world. Close your eyes and tell me all about it.”

“I used to have a cabin in West Virginia. It had been my maternal grandfather’s…he made his money in the film business during the 1920s. I actually think he used the place to secretly make and distribute moonshine but my mother would never tell me. Anyway, it’s surrounded by lush green forest and clean water moving over rocks. The sunset there is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. 

“I would sit on the porch with a cup of tea and just observe. Animals walked by, never people really, it was my own piece of heaven. I used to go there whenever things got overwhelming. The drive was a little over 3 hours and I could just feel the heaviness leaving my shoulders the closer I got. 

“There was nothing but peace there…for a while at least. I dream about it sometimes. I'm back on the porch and I'm happy. I wish I could take you there. I think you would love it.”

“I'm sure I would.” Paloma rubbed his belly. “Is it the one place you were happy?”

“Oh no; I had a very happy childhood.” Jason replied. “I grew up in Chicago, nearly on the South Side. My father was a teacher at a private Jewish Academy and my mother volunteered at the JCC. I was surrounded by culture and intelligentsia. I did all I could to soak it up. 

“I was my father’s shadow and my grandfather before him. I just wanted to be as brilliant as they were. To know big words and big things and teach them to others. I think I told you my mother wanted me to be a rabbi. She just knew I was going to do very big things.”

“What was your mother’s name?”

“It was Nora, I never told you that? Her name was Nora and she had raven black hair and dark, dark eyes. It was a bit of a scandal when she married my father as she was from a conservative Jewish family of decent standing and my father was practically an atheist. He didn’t tell a lot of people that as it was quite taboo back then. They were happy though, so in love, and they passed that love onto me. I loved my mother very much.”

“Were you a mama’s boy?” she asked with a little laugh.

“By today’s standards…absolutely. I didn’t care. Making her happy brought me such joy. She was an amazing woman. I think she would be proud of me, despite missteps I've had over the years.”

“Only happy thoughts right now.”

“She’d like you I think.” Jason said. “She’d love your brain and your sass.”

“She wouldn’t mind that you were dating outside your religion and race?” 

“No. My first girlfriend was African-American as well. Back then guys often married their first girlfriends. I remember my mother saying one night ‘as long as she converts I support the union’. Being a Jew, of any color, was the most important thing.”

“What was your first girlfriend’s name?”

“Simone de Passé. Her family was Creole and we met in the tenth grade. I admit to being a tad bit obsessed with her. Of course I was barely 15 and that’s an obsessive age. We were together a little over a year. I remember that she was a mezzo-soprano; had the most beautiful voice. She would play Lena Horne records and sing along.”

Paloma thought Jason had such an interesting life. He’d been on the earth almost six decades and experienced so much. He watched the world change so many times. Sometimes he changed with it. Other times he couldn’t adapt. And now here he was in California, starting all over again.

“Do you ever think about leaving California?” she asked.

“Leaving?” he opened his eyes. “No, this is my home now. I really do love it here. I wish it rained a little more, had more seasonal weather. I wish we weren’t so close to a relatively active fault line. Other than that, I love it. My job is here, my kids are here…you're here. You're running your fingers through my hair. What man in his right mind would give that up?”

“This woman is enjoying it as well.”

“We can go to the bedroom and do something we’d both enjoy.” Jason sat up on the couch and looked at her. 

Paloma had been helping him relax for over an hour. He adored her for it. He was probably relaxed enough now to nap. That’s what they called it. 

Sometimes he’d come over, have a bit of lunch and rest. Other times they made out or made love. It didn’t matter, as long as they were close. Napping was one of Jason’s favorite activities now. For a man who’d had trouble sleeping for the past almost 30 years that was a big deal.

“Jason Gideon, are you trying to take my clothes off?” Paloma asked smiling.

“I'm not at all opposed to that. And when we wake up you can tell me all about your new job.”

“What? How did you…?”

“We've been meeting in the middle of the afternoon all summer. Usually at this time you’d be at work.”

“I have so much vacation and personal time set aside.” Paloma said. “If I don’t start to use it, I’ll lose it. So I've been going in early and taking half days. Some afternoons I spend in court.”

“So you're not getting a new job?” Jason asked. He stood from the couch and held his hands out for her. When she took them, Jason exhaled.

“There are still bumps and kinks to work out. We will talk about it, I promise. I can't promise it’s going to be today.”

“Whatever makes you comfortable.” He began to walk backward toward her bedroom. When Jason looked at Paloma she was smiling. He pulled her in closer; she wrapped her arms around his neck.

In her bedroom, Paloma’s cat Odysseus looked up from his bath at the bottom of the bed. He wasn’t a people kitty though he’d gotten used to Jason. Still, it was the two of them and they didn’t look as if they were in the mood for company. He would just camp out on the couch…at least he’d have it all to himself.

Paloma sighed happily, laughing as the couple fell back on the bed. It didn’t take long before Jason was down to his boxers and socks. His girlfriend wore lacy undergarments that tickled his skin. He shivered when she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Mmm, Jason, there is something I need to talk to you about.” She bent to kiss his naked shoulder.

“Whatever you want, the answer is yes.”

“My parents want to meet you.”

“Really?” he stopped, looked into her eyes, and smiled. Then he went back to caressing her throat with his lips.

“I know you probably haven’t heard that one in a long time.”

“You would be correct. God, you smell good.”

“Thank you.” Paloma smiled, tilting her head back to give Jason better access to her skin. “I guess we can talk about this later.”

“We can talk now if you want to.” Jason still didn’t stop his seduction of her body, but he slowed down.

It wasn’t a hard choice to make. The barbecue her mother was planning would be next weekend, which left the couple plenty of time to talk about it. Right now Paloma would much rather enjoy just being in his arms and having this time together. Making time for each other wasn’t always easy…she wasn’t going to let anyone else have hers. And then Jason’s cell phone rang.

His phone was something he never ignored. That was one of the few things that hadn’t changed since he left the BAU. Now it was for completely different reasons but sometimes the phone calls could be just as distressing. He practically had to dive off the bed for his slacks. Jason wasn’t sure if he was going to get to the phone before voicemail picked up.

“Hello.”

“Jason, its Cole. Are you alright, you sound winded.”

“My phone fell on the floor; I'm alright. How are you Cole?”

Cole Peters was Cameron’s case worker. He didn’t call as much as the other case workers did and occasionally missed his monthly visits. Jason hadn’t heard from him in July but figured he would before school started. Cameron needed to have his summer assessment.

“I called with some news. Lisa’s disappeared.”

“What do you mean she’s disappeared?”

Jason sat on the edge of the bed. Paloma crawled up behind him, wrapping her arms around him. He exhaled as his body relaxed against hers. With his free hand, Jason stroked her arm.

“She was in the court ordered rehab in Modesto. She was scheduled for 30 days in and 60 days out while staying in a halfway house. She disappeared about a month ago.”

“A month…and you're just telling me.”

“We honestly thought she would turn up. She always does. Usually it’s getting arrested for something petty. This time, no dice.”

“Is she in danger? Do we even know she’s still alive?” Jason asked.

“No, we don’t. It’s hard to get police to actively look into a missing adult with a history of drug abuse and skipping out on life.”

“Do we need to talk to Cameron about this?”

“I don’t want to do that yet. But my supervisor says we have to discuss this with the family court judge that has Cameron’s case. The judge may choose to terminate her parental rights. Lisa has been given chance after chance and this isn’t working out. We have to look out for Cameron’s best interest.”

“And her parole officer hasn’t been much help?”

“He's got over 200 parolees to look after.” Cole replied. “Guess.”

“Yeah, unfortunately I'm familiar with that routine. You need to come out to the house soon. You have to give Cam his summer assessment.”

“I know. I’ll call you back as soon as I check my schedule for next week. Will you be able to accommodate an evening visit?”

“Sure.” Jason nodded.

“Alright, I need to go. We’ll talk more when I come over.”

“Thanks for calling Cole.”

He hung up the phone and sighed. Paloma kissed the nape of his neck and then his shoulder. This time Jason sighed for a completely different reason. It was going to be hard to get back in a frisky mood after that phone call but if anyone could help, she could.

“Is there a problem with Cameron?” she asked.

“No, his mother.”

“Do you need to go?”

“No.” Jason shook his head.

“Jason, I understand if…”

“No,” he turned in her arms and kissed her. “The insanity of life can wait. Unfortunately it’s not going anywhere. This is our time; I think we deserve our time.”

Smiling, Paloma pulled him back into bed and finished undressing him. She could tell from the phone call that stressful times were coming. She’d do her best to make sure that Jason was nice and relaxed before he had to dive head first back into the real world. Paloma wanted him to know that the little bubble they created was always going to be a safe place to land.

***


End file.
